“If Pebble beach were not in the water, would there still be one World Top 100 course?”
At first glance, this is a silly question, similar to asking whether the Mona Lisa would still be a masterpiece without her smile. The ocean is an integral part of Pebble, not just in plain view through most of the round, but also in play on many holes. It is as inseparable from the design as the enchanting expression of Lisa from the work of Leonardo da Vinci. You can’t discuss one without mentioning the other.
And yet, Pebble’s hypothesis is useful as a prompt for a larger question: Do coastal courses get preferential treatment over their inland counterparts?
This topic came up in a recent episode of Destination golf podcast, where my co-host Simon Holt and I delved into some of the perceptions — and misconceptions — about GOLF’s World Top 100 rankings. With this year’s list set to be published later this month, we thought it made sense to do some demystifying: what influences our panelists and what doesn’t. We touched on the usual suspects: exclusivity, conditioning and, yes, waterfront scenery.
How important is the coast, really? Simon pointed out that a lot depends on the context. In the UK or Ireland, where linksland dominates, he said, “if you ranked a parkland course in the top 20 or 30, you’d be laughed out of the room”. By contrast, in the US, where the diversity of golf’s geography is almost unmatched, many courses at the highest level — Augusta National, Merion and Oakmont, among them — are landlocked. If a shoreline were the primary requirement, Pine Valley would not be the perennial No. 1.
The deeper you dive into the conversation, the more nuanced it becomes. GOLF does not have a set formula for its ranking. Appraisers are entrusted to evaluate architecture on its own merits – not to be swayed by non-architectural additions. But a round of golf is an experience, and part of that experience is an exploration of a landscape. The scenery gives the course a sense of place. Remove the background, say, Cabot Cliffsand the design reads differently. To turn the issue on its head, consider the other side of coastal glitz: real estate. A view of the water can lift a course. A house across the fairway can blow it out, even if it never comes into play.
After all, it’s all subjective and it can be hard to separate placement from design. As a parting thought, Simon waxed poetic as he recounted the allure of the coastline. “We’re all human beings. And there’s something about being human, we’re drawn to the sea.” Clearly he has never spent time among the Dothraki. But I leave. We’re talking about golf, no Game of Thrones.
You can listen to the full conversation here.
